Barrow magazine Volume 23, Issue 2, 2011

A magazine for the friends of Barrow Neurological Institute of St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center • Volume 23, Issue 2, 2011

Tribute to a sonValley philanthropists’ giftlaunches Gregory W. FultonALS and Neuromuscular Disorders Clinic

Rock onBret Michaels returns to Barrow to announce music room

September 23, 2012, marks the 50th anniversary of Barrow Neurological Institute. Thismilestone offers an opportunity to reflect upon our accomplishments and to chart ourfuture course. As a benefactor of Barrow, you are key to that future.

Indeed, the past year has demonstrated the difference philanthropy can make. Major giftshave enabled us to fast track several projects that would still be on the drawing board were itnot for donor support. The Barrow Center for Neuromodulation, the Barrow Brain Tumor ResearchCenter and the Gregory W. Fulton ALS and Neuromuscular Disorders Clinic are taking theirfirst steps well ahead of schedule because of charitable giving. In an environment where gov-ernment support is waning and hospital budgets are stretched to the breaking point, programssuch as these would not be possible without the generosity of people like you.

And that is why Barrow Neurological Foundation recently announced plans to raise $50 million in honor of Bar-row’s 50th anniversary.

These funds are vital to a robust future for Barrow. I urge you to contribute.Our 50th anniversary celebration begins in January; pages 22-23 give a sneak preview of the festivities. I hope

you will join us in recognizing Barrow’s inspiring past and in creating an amazing future for the institute.

Sincerely,

Robert F. Spetzler, MDDirector, Barrow Neurological Institute

P.S. This is a wonderful time of year to make a tax-deductible gift to Barrow Neurological Foundation in honor ofour 50th anniversary. You can contribute online at SupportBarrow.org or call the Foundation office at 602-406-3041. Or mail in your gift in the enclosed envelope. We appreciate your continued support.

Opening thoughts

On our cover: Ira Fulton and Shafeeq Lahda, MD, stand inshelled space slated to become the Gregory W. Fulton ALSand Neuromuscular Disorders Clinic. Learn more starting onpage 4 of this issue.

V O L U M E 2 3 , I S S U E 2 , 2 0 1 1

Editor: Catherine [email protected]

Assistant editor: Lindsey Burke

Art director/designer: Justin Detwiler

Printer: Panoramic Press

Contributing writers: Sally Clasen, Melissa Morrison, Sarah Padilla

Photography: Brad Armstrong, GaryArmstrong, John Conaway, Jeff Noble

Robert F. Spetzler, MD, DirectorBarrow Neurological Institute®

Linda Hunt, president and CEOSt. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center

Contents

B A R R O W

• H o w t o R e a c h U s •Barrow is published twice a year. We welcome your comments, suggestions and requests to be added to or deleted from our mailing list. Call602-406-1041, email [email protected] or mail to Barrow, Office of Philanthropy, St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center, 350 W. Thomas Rd.,Phoenix, AZ, 85013. Please include your name, address, email and phone number in all correspondence. Visit us online at www.SupportBarrow.org.

4: Tribute to a son Mary Lou and Ira Fulton make $2.5-million gift to launch the Gregory W. Fulton ALS andNeuromuscular Disorders Clinic.

6: Patients in need New ALS clinic will focus on patientswith what many consider the cruelest disease of all.

9: ALS research Gift to Barrow Neurological Foundationenables Barrow to recruit noted physician-researcher andhis team.

12: Brainbook Arizona's high school athletes get a lessonin concussion awareness.

14: Parkinson’s fellows Benefactors enable young neurologists to receive advanced specialty training at MAPC.

16: Rock on Bret Michaels contributes music room to hospital.

18: Alumni news Former Barrow residents and fellows:where they are, what they’re doing.

20: A new perspective Women’s Board membershares her patient story.

22: 2012: Barrow’s 50th Inspiring past, amazing future.

24: St. Joseph’s Amazing Patient stories from the filesof Barrow Neurological Institute.

26: Benefactor Briefs

28: Coming soon Mark your calendar for these events.

30: Disability etiquette How are your communicationskills?

31: Barrow Foundation UK Extending Barrow’s reach.

B A R R O W4

M A R Y L O U A N D I R A F U L T O N

tribute to a sonMary Lou and Ira Fulton make $2.5-million gift to launchGregory W. Fulton ALS and Neuromuscular Disorders Clinic

While Mary Lou and Ira A. Fulton have given away hundreds of millions of dollars to organizations close to theirhearts, none of their gifts has been as personal as one they made recently to Barrow Neurological Institute.

The Fultons’ gift of $2.5 million to the planned Gregory W. Fulton ALS and Neuromuscular Disorders Clinic wasinspired by their son, Greg, who was diagnosed with ALS three years ago and passed away in November 2011. “It was sohard as his father to watch him deteriorate a little every day,” says Ira. “I couldn’t save my son’s life, but I can help otherpeople with this disease, and that’s why I made this gift.”

Greg was a patient of Shafeeq Ladha, MD, a Barrow neurologist who specializes in neuromuscular disorders and whowill direct the clinical aspects of the new clinic.

“I often tell patients that this disease is as emotionallydifficult as it is physically difficult,” says Dr. Ladha.“Watching how this disease takes an emotional toll on theentire family unit is very difficult, and it is one of the mainaspects of treating ALS that drives me to look for an effec-tive treatment.”

Ira says that Greg went from specialist to specialistlooking for an explanation of his stroke-like symptoms.Finally, he consulted Dr. Ladha at Barrow and learned thathe had ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Ira was so impressed by Dr. Ladha that he agreed tojoin the Board of Trustees of Barrow NeurologicalFoundation (BNF). And when Dr. Ladha shared his dreamof establishing an ALS clinic, Ira immediately knew he hadfound a project he could support.

“I’m good at making money, and I’m good at gettingpeople to step up and write a check,” says Ira. “I told Dr.Ladha, ‘You tell me what you need, and I’ll go out and beatthe bushes for you.’”

With the Fultons’ gift, Barrow recruited Robert Bowser,PhD, an internationally recognized ALS research scientistformerly at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.He heads up research at the ALS clinic.

“What we’re trying to build is a world-class integratedresearch and care center for ALS and other neuromusculardiseases,” explains Dr. Ladha. “We want patients to be ableto come here and get education, exceptional care andaccess to cutting-edge research activities.”

Since that first gift, the Fultons have made anothermajor gift: $1.675 million for a second da Vinci SurgicalSystem at St. Joseph’s. Again, it was a physician—this timeIvor Benjamin, MD—who inspired Ira to make a gift.

“Dr. Benjamin and Dr. Ladha are two no-nonsense, ded-icated physicians,” says Ira. “St. Joseph’s has great doctors.”

Asking others to give is Ira’s way of sharing the joy ofphilanthropy. “I say to people, ‘When’s the last time yousaw a Brinks truck in a funeral procession? You can’t takeit with you, and you can’t leave your money to your kids oryou’ll wreck them. Why not give it away now while youcan still enjoy the fruits of your labor?’

“I’m excited about what we can do here.” ■

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M A R Y L O U A N D I R A F U L T O N

“I couldn’t save my son’s life,

but I can help other people with

this disease, and that’s why

I made this gift.”

Ira Fulton

by Catherine Menor

Gregory Wayne Fulton, 53, passed awayNov. 26, 2011, at his home in Chandlerafter a three-year battle with ALS. Gregwas born July 7, 1958, in Phoenix andgrew up in Tempe, where he workedfor his father at Eaglesons and FultonHomes. From his early years, Greg wasan avid fisherman and loved sports. Heis survived by his parents, Mary Louand Ira Fulton; his son, Michael Ful-ton; his brother, Douglas S. Fulton; andhis sister, Lorie A. Nicholls. Contribu-tions in Greg’s memory may be made tothe Gregory W. Fulton Memorial Fundat Barrow Neurological Foundation.Visit SupportBarrowALS.org for moreinformation or call 602-406-3041.

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G R E G O R Y W . F U L T O N A L S A N D N E U R O M U S C U L A R D I S O R D E R S C L I N I C

by Melissa Frederick Morrison

in need New ALS clinic will focus onpatients with what many considerthe cruelest disease of all

“My jaw dropped.

I knew what it

meant. I’ve always,

ironically, idealized

Lou Gehrig—I just

didn’t idolize him

that much.”

Brett Booge

B A R R O W 7


The first thing Brett Booge noticed was the twitching inhis upper arms. He was fit—a triathlete who was nostranger to the gym—so colleagues thought he was

flexing. Then he noticed that instead of being able to liftmore weight, he was lifting less. He lost his balance in theshower a few times.

But it wasn’t until he went bowling in the spring of 2010with his niece and nephew—and he staggered down thealley to toss the now too-heavy ball—that he was moved tosee a doctor. When the neurologist said “amyotrophic lat-eral sclerosis,” he was puzzled.

When she said “Lou Gehrig’s disease,” he wasn’t.“My jaw dropped,” Booge, 44, says. “I knew what it meant.

I’ve always, ironically, idealized Lou Gehrig—I just didn’t idol-ize him that much.”

Booge sought treatment at several venues, near and far(even traveling to China for a mushroom paste that wasreputed to help). Eventually, Booge (rhymes with “vogue”)landed at Barrow, where he became a patient of ShafeeqLadha, MD.

“All of them, except Barrow, when I asked, ‘Is there any-thing I can do for myself?’ said, ‘Go have fun. Enjoy life,’”Booge says.

“I’m already doing that. I understand they can’t give ananswer to this particular disease, but [Barrow] is giving mesome answers that nobody else was.”

A devastating diseaseDr. Ladha has seen ALS patients throughout his career

as a neuromuscular specialist. But plans for a clinic dedicatedspecifically to the disease will put the spotlight on patients

who, until recently, have not seen many significant advancesin treatment. Fundraising is ongoing; Dr. Ladha hopes to breakground within 12 months.

“This disease is devastating in so many ways,” says Dr.Ladha, director of Barrow’s new Gregory W. Fulton ALS andNeuromuscular Disorders Clinic. “We forget it’s a wholefamily that has to deal with this disease. That has always strucka chord with me. They’re the most in-need group of peopleI come across in my sub-speciality.”

By combining the forces of the various medical special-ties that collaborate to maintain ALS patients’ quality of lifefor as long as possible, the clinic will likely extend their life-span as well. And by linking the clinic to a powerful researchengine in the form of University of Pittsburgh import RobertBowser, PhD, it will connect patients to advances made inthe lab sooner, rather than later, when time is precious.

Linking the clinic to the lab“It’s hard for me to separate the clinic from the research,”

Dr. Ladha says. “We want a seamless program that’s best bothfor future discoveries and current patients.”

For example, ALS’s symptoms can mimic other diseases,delaying diagnosis and, thus, treatment. (Life expectancy fromdiagnosis is currently two to five years.) Dr. Bowser’s lab hasdevised a highly promising blood test that could identify ALSearlier.

“Our clinic will probably be the first to start using it in amainstream fashion,” Dr. Ladha says. “That’s a good exampleof how research in the lab will be brought into the clinic.”

The clinic will also funnel the region’s ALS sufferers intoclinical drug trials, if they’re willing.

Shafeeq Ladha, MD

B A R R O W8 B A R R O W


Booge, for one, is. “I tell anybody and everybody I’m will-ing to be a guinea pig. It’s one of those things you considernot for yourself but for future people.”

Booge still walks, assisted by a wheeled walker. His Par-adise Valley home, whose front rooms are wall-to-wall withsports memorabilia, is outfitted with ramps, button-operatedfreezer drawers and other equipment to ease access. SinceApril, he has had a full-time assistant—long-time friendSteve Hassenger (nicknamed “24-7”)—to help him, as wellas a squad of family members. Though he no longer goes tothe office, Booge continues to work part-time from home asa commodities broker.

Improved quality of life, survivalStudies show an ALS patient will do better if cared for at

the type of all-in-one clinic Barrow is creating, addingmonths to their lives. “It’s clear that quality of life and sur-vival are better if someone goes to an experienced multi-disciplinary clinic,” Dr. Ladha says.

Part of the effect may be attributed to the expertise theteam has with neuromuscular patients. For example, now,Dr. Ladha’s patients have to go elsewhere for physical ther-apy.

“They find a physical therapist contracted to their insur-ance, and those usually have never seen an ALS patient,” hesays. “Most physical therapists are used to orthopedic prob-lems, not neuromuscular disorders.”

Not so at Barrow’s clinic, where everyone—physical,speech, respiratory, nutritional and occupational therapistsand social workers—will specialize in neuromuscular patients.

The new facility will house these specialties under oneroof, streamlining care. It will also feature an on-site diag-nostic lab that will allow clinicians to track the disease’sprogress more closely.

“It’s really kind of a one-stop shopping experience for thepatient, so they don’t have to go to a million places for care,”Dr. Ladha says.

That is good news to Booge and his sister Shawn O’Con-nor, who helps with his care. The physical logistics of bounc-ing from one appointment to the next has taken a toll. At onepoint, early in his treatment, O’Connor says, “He said, ‘Screwit, I’m done with this. I’m done with all these appointments.’”

With the establishment of the Gregory W. Fulton ALS andNeuromuscular Disorders Clinic, Booge will be able tospend less time traveling for treatment and more time liv-ing his life. ■

Photos: Above left, Brett Booge is supported by familyand friends, including sister Michelle Booge,long-time friend Steve Hassenger, mother Mary Booge andsister Shawn O’Connor. Above right, Barrow neurolo-gists Saraj Muley, MD, and Erik Ortega, MD, special-ize in neuromuscular disorders.


B A R R O W 9

als researchGift to Barrow Neurological Foundation enables Barrow to recruit noted physician-researcher and his team

ALS, a.k.a. Lou Gehrig’s disease, is the quicksand ofdiseases. It often starts as weakness in a limb. Thenover a few dreadful years, it works its way towards

the center of the body, extinguishing function as it goes,until it reaches the lungs. Death follows soon after.

Cruelly, ALS leaves most patients’ brains untouched,so they are all too aware of the disease’s deadly progress.

It can strike anyone at any time. There is no cure, andonly one drug is currently approved to treat it.

Despite the attention the legendary New York Yankeebrought to the affliction with his decline and death in1941, little progress has been made towards understandingwho is at risk for ALS or how to slow its progression, muchless cure it.

“It probably is about the worst disease you might get,”says Robert Bowser, PhD, an expert in ALS research. “It’s arapidly progressive fatal disease for which there’s only oneFDA-approved drug that doesn’t work very well.”

“This is a

tremendous

opportunity to help

facilitate new and

improved

treatments”

Robert Bowser, PhD

by Melissa Frederick Morrison

That is changing with the establishment of the GregoryW. Fulton ALS and Neuromuscular Disorders Clinic.Mary Lou and Ira Fulton’s $2.5-million gift helped lure Dr.Bowser from the University of Pittsburgh, where he over-saw a research program to uncover the causes of the dis-ease and participated in clinical research studies. It’s alsowhere he started a biotech company that has a drug in clin-ical trials that shows promise in slowing ALS’s progression.

As director of ALS research at Barrow, he will translatediscoveries in the lab directly to patients in the clinic.

“Can we identify patients earlier? Can we then deter-mine what types of treatments might work best?” he asksfrom his new Barrow office, where the walls are still bare.“ALS is a very heterogeneous disease, and if we can identi-fy patient subpopulations, we might be able to treat them alittle better.”

The ABCs of ALSIn ALS (which stands for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis),

neurons start to die and can no longer send the brain’smessages to the muscles, which leads to atrophy and, ulti-mately, paralysis. Early symptoms—increased clumsiness,hoarseness, muscle twitching—can be mistaken for some-thing else. It’s not uncommon for a patient to be treated foranother problem while ALS develops unchecked.

Currently, no definitive diagnostic test exists. Onlyafter scans, lab tests and muscle studies rule out other con-ditions can ALS be positively identified.

Dr. Bowser’s lab is poised to change that. It is develop-ing a test to identify ALS early in its onset.

The lab has identified two proteins in ALS patients’spinal fluid that occur in a higher concentration than in ahealthy person. After spotlighting this disease signature,

the lab tested it on 130 samplesfrom patients at clinics aroundthe country. The test was 93percent accurate, Dr. Bowsersays.

“These are patients whocame into the clinic early intheir disease, and many hadn’tbeen diagnosed yet,” he says.

Early diagnosis meansearly treatment. Currently,treatment is focused on mini-mizing symptoms, such asmuscle spasticity, and provid-ing physical therapy to pro-long the patient’s independ-ence. Later, a feeding tube andbreathing machine might berequired. One drug, riluzole, isFDA-approved to slow the dis-ease’s progression.

On the trail of biomarkersDr. Bowser and his team of research scientists hope

that their identification of biomarkers will not only aid theneurologist in diagnosing ALS more quickly, but will alsoallow doctors to follow the disease’s progression moreclosely and determine how effective a drug is in a clinicaltrial.

A pharmaceutical research company Dr. Bowser co-founded, Knopp Biosciences, currently has a drug in PhaseIII clinical trials. The drug, dexpramipexole, has beenshown to be protective of the motor neurons affected byALS. If FDA approval is timely, the drug could be availableto patients within two to three years, Dr. Bowser says.

He sees dexpramipexole as one in an arsenal of drugsin the research pipeline that, in the right combination,might extend the life of ALS patients.

“Will it be the cure? No,” he says. “But it could be amuch improved treatment for ALS patients.”

Barrow’s clinic will be a gateway for enrolling theregion’s ALS patients into clinical drug trials. ALS is cate-gorized as an “orphan disease,” meaning fewer than200,000 Americans suffer from it at any given time. Anestimated 30,000 currently have it, according to theWashington, DC-based ALS Association. Dr. Bowser esti-mates the clinic currently serves 120 or so regionalpatients. He expects the number to rise as more clinical tri-als and research studies are made available to participants.

Broader implicationsThe lab’s discoveries may have resonance beyond ALS

patients. While ALS does not touch the brains of 70 per-cent of its victims, those whose brains are affected experi-ence nervous-system dementia, a category that includesAlzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.

It was the similarities in genetic mutations betweenAlzheimer’s and ALS patients that initially drew Dr.Bowser to focusing on the latter disease. These similaritieshint that advances made towards identifying and treatingALS dementia may also apply to other dementias.

“We feel like insights we make into ALS will also bebeneficial to those other diseases,” he says. “With respect toknowing the hows and the whys, there’s a lot to be learned.This is a tremendous opportunity to help facilitate newand improved treatments.” ■

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B A R R O W 11

Help us build the Gregory W. Fulton ALSand Neuromuscular Disorders ClinicPlans call for the Gregory W. Fulton ALS and Neuromuscular DisordersClinic to be located in what is now shelled space on the third floor ofthe Lonnie and Muhammad Ali Pavilion on St. Joseph’s campus. Thislocation will allow the ALS Clinic and the Muhammad Ali ParkinsonCenter to share services of benefit to both. To learn how you can help, call Barrow Neurological Foundation at602-406-3041 or email [email protected]. Online giving isavailable at SupportBarrowALS.org. Be sure to check out the videos ofDrs. Ladha and Bowser talking about the new clinic. Your contribution will help patients like Brett Booge receive better carefor neuromuscular diseases.

B A R R O W12

Arizona’s high school athletes get a lesson inconcussion awareness

B R A I N B O O K

Nate Calles’ goal for the current football season is tolead with his shoulders, not his head. As the startingquarterback for Sandra Day O’Connor High

School’s junior varsity squad, it’s a winning game strategybut also a way to prevent another concussion.

Calles didn’t know anything about traumatic braininjuries (concussions) until his last game of the 2010 seasonwhen he hit a defensive opponent head on during a pass playand was knocked unconscious for a few seconds. He wasquickly transported to Barrow Neurological Institute wherehe was diagnosed with a concussion and an injury to the spine.

“It felt like my neck popped,” explains the high schoolsophomore, who experienced classic concussion symptomssuch as problems sleeping, fuzzy vision, headaches, neck painand problems concentrating on schoolwork.

Required e-readingBecause of the football injury he sustained, Calles is

now better prepared to prevent and recognize a concussionon the field when it happens. He and his teammates also havegotten an added lesson this fall through a new education pro-gram that makes it mandatory for all high school athletesin Arizona to complete an online concussion awarenessprogram and pass a sports eligibility test.

Called Brainbook, the e-learning module is designed likea social media site and takes students through a number ofeducational activities, videos and a final exam they must com-plete before being cleared to play. The concussion awarenessinitiative is a partnership between Barrow, the ArizonaInterscholastic Association and the Arizona Cardinals.

While 28 states, including Arizona, have existing con-cussion laws that require student-athletes to participate insome form of concussion education, Brainbook representsthe first program in the country to formalize and test stu-dent-athletes’ knowledge about brain injuries.

The interactive concussion module takes 50 minutes tocomplete, and student-athletes must score 80 percent orhigher to pass.

Brainbook was created by the Barrow staff and doctor-al students from Arizona State University’s College of Edu-cation. It was designed to help raise awareness and reducethe number of sports-related concussions in Arizona, accord-ing to neurologist Javier Cardenas, MD, director of theBRAINS (Barrow Resource for Acquired Injury to the Nerv-ous System) Clinic.

The state of Arizona ranks second in the country for trau-matic brain injury, but through Brainbook, 100,000 stu-dent-athletes will learn about concussion and the danger-ous side effects associated with the brain injury.

“Concussions are rampant in professional sports and atthe NCAA level, but there is a trickle-down effect amongyounger athletes. In Arizona, 7,000 high school students suf-fer concussions each year,” explains Dr. Cardenas, who hasbeen instrumental in building the statewide concussionand prevention awareness effort.

The goal of Brainbook, he says, is to reduce the injuriesand complications associated with concussion by providingprimary prevention education—such as wearing the rightequipment properly—and educating athletes about the signsand symptoms of concussion.

brainbook

B A R R O W 13

by Sally Clasen

B R A I N B O O K

As part of Brainbook’s program, Barrow received a$250,000 grant from the Maddock Foundation to developa research registry that will track concussed student-athletes.Such data will help neurologists and researchers get a moreaccurate picture of the long-term effects of concussion.

Concussions: myths versus factsFrom an immediate sports safety perspective, Brain-

book is a powerful tool to help dispel concussion myths.“There are several misunderstandings about concussions,”says Dr. Cardenas. “For example, many believe a concussionis not a brain injury or that you have to be knocked out tohave one, but only 10 percent of concussions result in peo-ple losing consciousness.”

Most concussion symptoms resolve within a few weeks—95 percent of people with a brain injury have completerecovery— but some effects don’t appear immediately, andothers can last months or longer, according to Dr. Cardenas.

In fact, Calles still has headaches and neck tension oneyear later. Another concern is that athletes who return to playtoo soon after suffering a concussion increase their risk forhaving another brain injury.

Calles, for one, doesn’t need to be convinced about theimportance of requiring high school athletes to take a les-son in concussion education.

“Brainbook is a great idea. In the past, many of my team-mates thought they were strong enough that they couldn’tget a concussion. Or if they had been hit, wouldn’t know ifthey had one. It just makes the entire team more awareabout the seriousness of concussions. It took a hit to the head,but now I get it—I’d recognize one immediately.” ■

Test your concussion IQTrue or false?1.You have to lose consciousness to havea concussion.

2. Concussion is a serious brain injurywhere the brain moves rapidly withinthe skull.

3. Symptoms of a concussion can appearweeks after an injury.

4. First concussions are typically moreserious than second concussions.

5. One of the most important things youcan do after a concussion is rest.

How did you do? The answers are below,and you can learn more by visiting Brain-book online at TheBarrow.org/brains. On the Brainbook website, you’ll hearwhat Ken Whisenhunt and Ron Wolfleyof the Arizona Cardinals, Diana Taurasiand Penny Taylor of the Phoenix Mercu-ry, and other experts have to say aboutthis important topic.

Far left, Javier Cardenas, MD. Left,Barrow, the Arizona Cardinals and theArizona Interscholastic Associationannounced the Brainbook program duringa news conference held in August atBarrow.

1-F, 2-T, 3-T, 4-F, 5-T

B A R R O W14

M A P C F E L L O W S H I P S

by Sarah Padilla

Evelyn Kossak and Jean Grossman know firsthand thevalue of a having a good neurologist. Their late hus-bands, John Kossak and Harold Grossman, were both

treated for Parkinson’s disease for many years by Barrow’sAbraham Lieberman, MD, a movement disorder specialist.

The care that the families received led the two womento give back in honor of their husbands. In 1994, Evelyn madea large gift to the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center (MAPC)at Barrow to establish the John and Evelyn Kossak Fellow-ship to provide further training to neurologists interested inspecializing in Parkinson’s disease and other movement dis-orders. Seven years later, the initial endowment of $200,000has doubled. In 2007, Jean donated significant funds toestablish the Harold and Jean Grossman Fellowship, whichwill bring a prominent Israeli professor to lecture and teachat the MAPC in 2012.

Today, the two endowments havebeen supplemented by additionalfunding from Lynn Diamond, the SySyms Foundation and Mark Freiberg.The Medtronic Foundation also sup-ports training in deep-brain stimula-tion (DBS).

Currently, three fellows are in train-ing at the MAPC. Sameea Husain,DO, and Naomi Salins, MD, are sec-ond-year fellows, while Sara Dhanani,MD, recently began her first year. Bar-row’s fellowships are among a fewnationally that last longer than a year.The Center also provides training to neurology residents andfourth-year medical students.

“During their first year, the fellows concentrate on see-ing patients and learning about the diversity of movementdisorders. They learn to recognize, diagnose and treat thesedisorders, and they learn to counsel patients and families,”says Ina Lieberman, MD, managing director of the MAPC.“In the second year, they learn about advanced treatmentsfor these conditions, including botulinum toxin and deep-brain stimulation.”

The MAPC has graduated several fellows through theyears, including Arshia Sadreddin, MD, and GuillermoMoguel-Cobos, MD, both of whom are now attending neu-rologists at the center.

“The clinical exposure you get from seeing patients hereis very strong,” says Dr. Moguel-Cobos, who also complet-ed his residency at Barrow and now specializes in dystonia.

“We encourage our fellows to take the initiative and to takea stronger role in caring for our patients.”

Barrow has employed DBS as a treatment for Parkinson’s,dystonia and tremor for several years and has developed anational reputation for its use. And the recent establishmentof the Barrow Center for Neuromodulation will allow thehospital to further apply the treatment to depression, obses-sive compulsive disorders and perhaps even dementia. Bar-row is also exploring the use of gene transfer therapy as a treat-ment for patients with intractable Parkinson’s disease.

The surgical approach to movement disorders is, in part,what drew Drs. Dhanani and Husain to the Barrow fellow-ship. “There’s so much variability in patient care. We’re see-ing patients with both hypo- and hyperkinetic movement dis-orders, and we’re learning there are so many treatment

options. You can really be excitedabout what you do because it’s alwaysdifferent,” says Dr. Husain.

A typical day for the fellows mightinclude both clinic and operatingroom experiences. In the OR, theylearn to conduct physical exams (mostprocedures are performed while thepatient is awake), properly place andread electrodes, and make the neces-sary adjustments for voltage and fre-quency. They are also involved in theMAPC’s multiple research studiesand extensive community outreach.

Dr. Salins was drawn to theMAPC’s comprehensive approach to patient care, whichincludes balance, speech, occupational and physical thera-py. “It’s an outlook on Parkinson’s disease and movement dis-orders that I haven’t seen anywhere else, having all of the ancil-lary services in one setting,” she says.

Last year, the MAPC saw 1,300 new patients and expe-rienced 7,200 return visits, making it one of the busiestmovement disorder centers in the United States. The fellowsagree that their training is enhanced by the fact that theMAPC sees such a high number of patients with such diverseconditions. Additionally, they value the opportunity to workalongside so many established neurologists.

“Everyone has a different perspective, and everyoneteaches a little differently,” says Dr. Husain. “It’s like we’re get-ting a niche education within a niche.” ■

Benefactors enable young neurologists to receiveadvanced specialty training at MAPC

“The clinical exposure you getfrom seeingpatients here isvery strong.”

Guillermo Moguel-Cobos, MD

parkinson’s fellows

B A R R O W 15

M A P C F E L L O W S H I P S

Special thanks to these donorsThe Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center is grateful forthe many supporters who have helped it achieve aninternational reputation for the research and treat-ment of movement disorders.

• Lonnie and Muhammad Ali• The Celebrity Fight Night Foundation, Jimmy Walker and Sean Currie

• Lynn Diamond• Mark Frieberg• Jean Grossman• Evelyn Kossak• Medtronic Foundation• The Sy Syms Foundation

Naomi Salins, MDSara Dhanani, MD Sameea Husain, DO

B A R R O W16

B R E T M I C H A E L S

“I want to givesomething back tothe hospital thathelped savemy life.”Bret Michaels

Bret Michaels contributes music room to hospital

Bret Michaels, rock star and former patient at St. Joseph’s BarrowNeurological Institute, announced plans to create the Bret MichaelsHospitality and Music Room inside the hospital during a recent press

conference.“I want to give something back to the hospital that helped save my life,” said

Michaels. “Phoenix is my home, and I’m proud to be a part of this community.”In April 2010, Michaels was rushed to Barrow suffering from a subarach-

noid hemorrhage, a life-threatening type of stroke that causes bleeding in the fluid-filled spaces around the base of the brain.

After being released from Barrow, Michaels made a rapid recovery and wenton to win Celebrity Apprentice in 2010 and enjoy a successful national concerttour. Earlier this year, he returned to St. Joseph’s to undergo a heart procedureto close a hole in his heart.

Michaels’ new music room, located near patient rooms in the Barrow Neu-roscience Tower, will be designed to include music listening stations and relax-ation areas for patients’ families. “It will be warm and hip,” says Michaels. Theroom is expected to be completed in 2012.

“This room will be a very welcome addition for the families of our patients,”said St. Joseph’s President and CEO Linda Hunt. “Bret has demonstrated that heis a good friend to this hospital in several ways, and we thank him.”

Michaels performed at the star-studded Celebrity Fight Night in Phoenix lastMarch. He donated a dinner in his home to Celebrity Fight Night’s live auction,an item that raised $200,000, including $20,000 from the rock star. The-Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center at Barrow is the main beneficiary of Celebri-ty Fight Night. ■

rock on

B A R R O W 17

B R E T M I C H A E L S

B A R R O W18

A L U M N I N E W S

David Levy, a Barrow Neurological Institute alumnus,recently published Gray Matter about his experiences as aneurosurgeon. Dr. Levy finished his neurosurgery train-

ing at Barrow in 1995 and nowpractices in San Diego, Calif.

Here’s what Amazon.com hasto say about Dr. Levy’s book:

A blend of medical drama andspiritual insight, Gray Matter is afascinating account of Dr. DavidLevy’s decision to begin asking hispatients if he could pray for thembefore surgery. Some are thrilled.

Some are skeptical. Some are hostile, and some are quite liter-ally transformed by the request.

Each chapter focuses on a specific case, opening with a detaileddescription of the patient’s diagnosis and the procedure that willneed to be performed, followed by the prayer “request.” Fromthere, readers get to look over Dr. Levy’s shoulder as he performsthe operation, and then we wait—right alongside Dr. Levy, thepatients, and their families—to see the final results.

Dr. Levy’s musings on what successful and unsuccessful surgi-cal results imply about God, faith, and the power of prayer arehonest and insightful. As we watch him come to his ultimateconclusion that no matter what the results of the procedure are,“God is good,” we cannot help but be truly moved and inspired.

alumni newsFormer Barrow residents: where they are, what they’re doing

Alumni: Send us your newsEmail your information to [email protected]. Pleaseinclude your name, the residency program you com-pleted, the year you graduated and where you currentlypractice/your title. Deadline for our next issue is March31, 2012.

Sandipan Pati, MDNeurology, 2011Sandipan Pati, MD, who completed his Neurology residency atBarrow Neurological Institute this year, is one of the authors ofan article recently published in Nature Protocol. The articledescribes research into noninvasive brain stimulation usingultrasound. Since publication of the article, news of the researchhas been highlighted in various scientific and news media.

Dr. Pati’s co-authors are Yusuf Tufail, Anna Yoshihiro andMonica M. Li, all of Arizona State University, and William J.Tyler of Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute and School ofBiomedical Engineering and Sciences, Roanoke, Virg.

David Levy, MDNeurosurgery, 1995

B A R R O W 19

S O N N T A G A C A D E M I C P A V I L I O N

The new Sonntag Pavilion is under construc-tion and scheduled to be completed in early2012. Named in honor of retired Barrow

neurosurgeon Volker Sonntag, MD, the 3,000-square-foot facility is being built next to theMarley Lobby on Third Avenue north of ThomasRoad.

The facility will be used for lectures, exhibits,demonstrations and meetings. It will include seat-ing for up to 200 people and the latest electronicaudio and video equipment.

The state-of-the-art building was made possi-ble by contributions from Barrow alumni, physicians,staff and benefactors.

The new structure will be the site of a donorrecognition dinner in April and of the MarianRochelle Lecture, which is the kick-off event of thethe 38th Annual Neurosurgery Symposium in May2012. ■

Dr. Sonntag honored by alma materVolker K.H. Sonntag, MD, Barrow ViceChairman Emeritus, was named Universityof Arizona Alumnus of the Year during theuniversity’s recent homecoming festivities.Dr. Sonntag was president of the first classto graduate from the University of ArizonaCollege of Medicine (Class of 1971).

sonntag pavilionDonor-funded educational space to open in 2012

Thank you, donors!A complete list of people who con-tributed to the Sonntag Pavilion isavailable online at SupportBarrow.org.Look for the Sonntag AcademicPavilion section under “Events &Campaigns.”

B A R R O W20

Women’s Board member shares her patient story

Marilyn Parke has been a member of the Women’sBoard of Barrow Neurological Foundation for 17years. As the member of a group that supports

Barrow through fund- and friend-raising, Parke has lis-tened to many presentations about Barrow, served as theboard’s chair, co-chaired the Barrow Grand Ball andworked on various committees. After all these years, Parkethought she knew Barrow inside and out.

But recently, Parke has come to know Barrow in a dif-ferent way: as a patient undergoing rehabilitation for a trau-matic brain injury. That experience left her eager to tell herfriends on the Women’s Board about the life-changing serv-ices she has received, particularly in the Center for Transi-tional Neurorehabilitation (CTN).

Parke and the medical director of CTN, Pamela Klonoff,PhD, were the featured speakers at a Nov. 3 meeting of theWomen’s Board.

“I would like to say thank you,” Parke said after Dr.Klonoff ’s presentation about CTN. “I’m so happy you haveshared this knowledge with my friends.”

On July 29, 2011, Parke was driving back from a marketnear her summer home in British Columbia, Canada, whenher car was t-boned by a large pick-up truck. Emergency per-sonnel transported Parke to a local hospital. Hours later, aMountie knocked on the door of the Parkes’ home to tell herhusband, Robin, what had happened.

Twelve days later, Parke was flown to Barrow Neurolog-ical Institute. She has no memories from the week before theaccident until the day of her trip back to Phoenix.

“The first thing I remembered was being on the airevacplane. When I saw my dog in a kennel on the airplane, I knew

I was going home. I knew I was going to a good place,” shesays.

The injury to the left side of Parke’s brain left her con-fused and unable to recognize even some of her closest fam-ily members. When the plane arrived in Phoenix, Parke’sdaughter, Julie, was there to meet her, “but I did not recog-nize her. I thought she was another nurse,” Parke says.

Parke spent about a month in the Neurorehabilitation Cen-ter where she gradually came to understand her brain injuryand to regain some lost memories. She entered CTN onSept. 12 to continue her recovery.

CTN is an outpatient program that helps participantsunderstand and accept their strengths and limitations so theycan transition successfully back into work, school and rela-tionships. Participants, who stay in the program anywherefrom six months to a year, learn to compensate for deficitsthrough re-training of old activities and/or introduction tonew ones.

After attending CTN five days a week for six weeks,Parke could see many improvements in her condition. Andshe says that she has much to be thankful for: her Women’sBoard friends who sent dozens of notes and cards, the factthat two grandchildren stayed behind at their home in Cana-da instead of accompanying her to the market that fateful dayand Barrow neurosurgeon Nicholas Theodore, MD, who facil-itated her transfer to Barrow.

With the help of CTN, she hopes to reach at least one moremilestone. “I hope to be able to drive again,” says this ener-getic and determined woman. “My goal is to regain thelifestyle I had just a year ago.” ■

by Catherine Menor

T R A U M A T I C B R A I N I N J U R Y

“When I saw my dog in a kennel

on the airplane, I knew I was going

home. I knew I was going to a

good place.”

Marilyn Parke

a new perspective

B A R R O W 21

T R A U M A T I C B R A I N I N J U R Y

Center for TransitionalNeurorehabilitation

MissionTo provide supportive rehabilitative services and educationto patients with brain injuries and their families; improveindependent functioning in the home and community; andfacilitate the return to productive work or school.

Facts• In operation since 1986• Last step in Barrow continuum of care• Serves older adolescents to older adults with moderate to

severe brain injuries - traumatic brain injury (60%),stroke (25%) and others (brain tumors, anoxia, etc.)

• Length of time in program: 6-12 months• Comprised of two main programs: Home Independence

Program and Work/School Re-Entry Program• Treats about 60 patients a year, 737 since it opened• Employs 27 staff members, including neuropsychologists,

speech-language pathologists, dietician, psychiatrist, andphysical, occupational and recreational therapists

Marilyn and Robin Parke celebrated their 53rdanniversary on June 15, 2011.

Pamela Klonoff, PhD, describes the services of theCenter for Transitional Neurorehabilitation at a meeting of the Women’s Board.

B A R R O W22

B A R R O W ’ S 5 0 T H A N N I V E R S A R Y

2012: barrow’s 50thInspiring past, amazing future

Next year marks the 50th Anniversary of BarrowNeurological Institute at St. Joseph’s Hospital andMedical Center.

We are using this milestone as an opportunity to take aquick look over our shoulder and celebrate our inspiring past.

But mostly we are looking ahead to Barrow’s AMAZINGfuture. And to secure that future, Barrow NeurologicalFoundation has committed to raising $50 million in honorof Barrow’s 50th.

This 50th anniversary marks the beginning of the “gold-en age” of Barrow. With the best clinical and research staffin the nation, Barrow is and will be at the forefront of find-ing answers to some of the most devastating medical con-

ditions like Parkinson’s, epilepsy, Alzheimer’s, ALS, strokes,clinical depression and, of course, brain tumors.

In the next 50 years, we will see advances unlike anythingwe have witnessed before. The words “you will never walkagain” will NOT be in Barrow’s vocabulary.

Barrow has a rich and bold legacy that comes to lifeevery day in patients who come from all over the world fora miracle…and get one.

This is Barrow’s 50th birthday, and we could spend a lotof time celebrating our remarkable legacy, but instead we areusing it as a challenge to take medicine beyond its currentfrontier…to do the impossible everyday. The Barrow storyhas only just begun. ■

Fast Facts: Barrow NeurologicalInstitute

• Barrow opened its doors in September 1962. • In the past five decades, Barrow has grown

from a community neurological center to aworld-renowned leader, consistently recog-nized as one of the top 10 in the nation.

• More than 10,000 patients come to Barroweach year from around the world.

• Barrow’s patients have come from more than100 countries.

• Barrow performs more brain surgeries thanany other facility in the world.

• Barrow trains more neurosurgeons than anyother hospital in the world.

• The Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center atBarrow is the most comprehensive Parkinsonfacility in the nation.

• Barrow’s new Center for Neuromodulation,Brain Tumor Research Center, and GregoryW. Fulton ALS and Neuromuscular DisordersClinic are expected to dramatically changeneurological treatments in the next decade.

• In 2011, Barrow expanded to include a pres-ence at Phoenix Children’s Hospital.

• The 50th anniversary is only the beginningfor Barrow. This is the start of Barrow’s"Golden Age."

B A R R O W 23

B A R R O W ’ S 5 0 T H A N N I V E R S A R Y

BARROW 50TH EVENTS

2012 will be a big year for Barrow NeurologicalInstitute. Between January 1 and September 23,Barrow’s official 50th anniversary, look for lots ofhoopla. Here are a few of the activities beingplanned: • Barrow50.org, a special website dedicated to

Barrow’s 50th anniversary. Here you’ll findpatient videos, a timeline of Barrow mile-stones, future directions for the institute andhow you can contribute to Barrow’s future. Thewebsite will launch Jan. 1.

• The Barrow Grand Ball on Jan. 21. TheWomen’s Board is pulling out all the stops tomake this year’s ball a dazzling event.Benefactors are stepping up with “Gifts ofGold” to help secure a bright future forBarrow.

• A special announcement in late January fromBarrow researchers and physicians. It’s a secret,so we can’t say anymore.

• Sonntag Academic Pavilion grand opening inApril. The pavilion, named in honor of VolkerSonntag, MD, provides additional educationaland display space for the many professionalconferences and meetings that occur in theMarley Lobby and Goldman Auditorium.

• The Barrow Neurosurgery Symposium,May16-17, for brainy doctors from around theworld. Barrow docs are planning to hike theGrand Canyon from rim to rim to rim afterthe symposium. We’re told this will be Dr.Robert Spetzler’s final superhuman GC feat.

• Magic and the Brain on Sept. 17 at PhoenixTheatre. Make plans to attend this dazzlingdisplay of wizardry and help raise funds forBarrow. You’ll get a behind-the-scenes look athow magicians trick us, thanks to magiciansMac King and the Amazing Randy, andBarrow vision researchers Stephen Macknik,PhD, and Susana Martinez-Conde, PhD.

S N E A K P R E V I E W

B A R R O W24

S T . J O S E P H ’ S A M A Z I N G

Fertiss OvertonQuintuple bypass heart surgery is a big deal. Follow

that up with a brain aneurysm, a secondary brain bleed anda mini stroke, and it’s a wonder Fertiss Overton survived.

It was just three weeks into recovery from quintuple-bypass surgery that Overton was diagnosed with ananeurysm—a bulge in the weakened wall of a blood vesselin the brain. Left untreated, aneurysms often rupture andcan result in disability or death.

Overton, then 58, was taken to a local hospital andthen quickly transferred to St. Joseph’s Del E. Webb Emer-gency Department. There he was seen by Barrow physicianPeter Nakaji, MD, director of Minimally Invasive Neuro-surgery. Overton’s aneurysm required surgery, but becauseof blood thinners prescribed following heart surgery, theprocedure had to be pushed back 10 days to avoid the riskof a major hemorrhage.

Overton spent the 10-day waiting period in a BarrowICU. “Those days were stressful,” says Pat Overton, Fertiss’swife. “We had to rely on strength and prayer and just watchas they drained fluid build-up from his brain.”

On day 10, Dr. Nakaji successfully clipped the aneurysm.But recovery was erratic. Two weeks after returning home,Overton’s brain began to bleed again. He was rushed to alocal hospital where they opened the other side of his headto drain the subdural hemorrhage. A week after that, he wasstricken with a trans-ischemic attack, a mini stroke.

“Although it was scary, all of this was just part of himstabilizing after the surgery,” Pat recalled. “We are so blessedthat Dr. Nakaji was on call in the ER that day. We can’t thankhim enough. From the day we got there, Dr. Nakaji told meit was going to be a long haul, but if we were up for it, wewould pull through—and I remember just knowing that wewould make it through. We were at the hospital for aboutfive weeks, and through everything, Dr. Nakaji and thestaff at Barrow were unbelievable, just remarkable.”

Luckily, perhaps, Overton doesn’t recall much of theordeal. “When you look at me, you would never imaginewhat I’ve gone through—with my heart and then my brain.It is God’s blessing, the blessing of a full recovery. I’m so sat-isfied with Barrow and so satisfied with my outcome.” ■

st. joseph’s amazingPatient stories from the files of Barrow Neurological Instituteby Lindsey Burke

“We are so blessed that

Dr. Nakaji was on call in

the ER that day."

Pat Overton

B A R R O W 25

Barbara ConawaySeemingly out of nowhere, Barbara Conaway expe-

rienced the onset of a bizarre headache and garbledspeech—uncharacteristic of the normally well-spokenand healthy then 53-year-old. Barbara immediatelywent to see her primary care physician who orderedan MRI. The images revealed a meningioma—a benignbrain tumor.

After researching neurosurgeons in Tucson,Conaway instead decided to call Barrow Neurologi-cal Institute, where she met with Robert Spetzler, MD.

“The fear and anxiety I was going through afterbeing diagnosed, once I met Dr. Spetzler, I had absolute-ly no doubt that he was the doctor for me,” she says.“He told me my treatment options were ‘surgery, sur-gery or surgery,’ so I chose surgery.”

Her tumor was removed in September of 2010.“Going in was scary, but as soon as I woke up, I hadsuch a euphoric feeling. I was surrounded by family,and it was wonderful to have that behind me.”

Back home in Tucson just a couple weeks later,Conaway found it difficult to read, and her speech wasgarbled again. She went to a local hospital where aninfection was misdiagnosed; doctors there encouragedher to return to Barrow.

“Once back at Barrow, my treatment was phe-nomenal. Honestly, I should have just gone back therein the first place,” she said.

Conaway’s recovery has been steady, but therehave been challenges along the way, including a seizurethree months ago that has led her to quit driving tem-porarily.

“But more than anything, I wake up every morn-ing happy to be alive, and I attribute that to Barrow,”she says. “Knowing what could have happened if I had-n’t come here just makes me so incredibly grateful.” ■

S T . J O S E P H ’ S A M A Z I N G

“He told me my treatment

options were ‘surgery,

surgery or surgery,’

so I chose surgery.”

Barbara Conaway

Artist Barbara Conaway donated a painting of sun-flowers to Barrow to thank the institute for her care.

B A R R O W26

B E N E F A C T O R B R I E F S

benefactor briefs

Beer for Brains holds RAREaffairOn Nov. 4, nearly 800 beer lovers gathered to enjoy rare craftbeers and raise funds for brain tumor research at Barrow Neu-rological Institute. The RAREaffair, a fundraiser thrown bythe Beer for Brains Foundation, was held at TalkingStick Resort. The no-limit food-and-drink-tastingevent featured more than 75 beers for sipping, alongwith wine and gourmet food. Proceeds benefit the Bar-row Brain Tumor Research Center.

The Beer for Brains Foundation was establishedby Louis Dolgoff who lost his beloved wife Laurie toa glioblastoma in 2009. Laurie was a patient at Bar-row. For more information, visit TheBeerForBrains-Foundation.org.

BRAINS Clinic gets face lift, thanks to Arizona sports teams In August, the BRAINS (Barrow Resource for AcquiredInjury to the Nervous System) program showed off its newlyremodeled space at an open house for St. Joseph’s employ-ees. Sports items donated by the Arizona Cardinals, thePhoenix Mercury and the Phoenix Suns now decorate theclinic, brightening the space and reinforcing the concussion-prevention messages of the clinic.

Right, Mercury playersNakia Sanford andTemeka Johnson withJavier Cardenas, MD,and Christina Kwasnica,MD, in the remodeledBRAINS Clinic.

Louis Dolgoff (far left) andfriends at the RAREaffair.

B A R R O W 27

B E N E F A C T O R B R I E F S

National Parkinson Foundationcontributes to MAPC at BarrowThe National Parkinson Foundation, Inc. made a gift of$60,000 to Barrow Neurological Foundation in support ofthe Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center.

Construction of aquatic center begins, to be completed in 2012 Construction began on the Ashlyn Dyer Aquatic Center at St.Joseph's on Oct. 24, Ashlyn’s birthday. Ashlyn passed away in 2006

as a result of severe traumatic brain injury. The new aquatic therapy center for patients under-

going rehabilitation has been funded entirely throughgifts to Barrow Neurological Foundation. The indoorpool will be completed in 2012. It is located just eastof Merrill Street and Third Avenue on the St. Joseph’scampus.

Spirit of Giving winners namedShelby and Stephen Butterfield, and Mary Lou andIra Fulton received Spirit of Philanthropy Awardsduring the 27th Annual Philanthropy LeadershipAwards Dinner sponsored by the Association ofFundraising Professionals-Greater Arizona Chapteron Nov. 16 at the Downtown Sheraton Hotel.

The Butterfields have made major contributions to thehospital through their support of women’s services and theBarrow Children’s Cleft and Craniofacial Center. Shelby isthe secretary of the Board of Directors for St. Joseph’s Foun-dation (SJF). The couple received the award on behalf of SJF.

The Fultons recently made major gifts to the hospital tocreate the Gregory W. Fulton ALS and Neuromuscular Dis-orders Clinic and to acquire a second da Vinci Surgical Sys-tem robot. Ira is a member of the Barrow NeurologicalFoundation (BNF) Board of Trustees. BNF presented theaward to the Fultons.

Brain Tumor Research Centermeets goals, receives awardThe Barrow Brain Tumor Research Center, headed byNader Sanai, MD, recently received a second award fromphilanthropist Ray Thurston—this one for $360,000.Thurston pledged a total of $3 million to Barrow Neuro-logical Foundation to be paid as the BBTRC reachesgoals established by Dr. Sanai and Thurston.

B A R R O W28

U P C O M I N G E V E N T S

Knock-Out Parkinson’s Charity Golf TournamentFriday, Dec. 9Gainey Ranch Golf ClubThis is the inaugural event for this fundraiser for the Muham-mad Ali Parkinson Center at Barrow. It is sponsored by theNational Parkinson Foundation-Arizona Chapter. The tour-nament includes a reception, dinner and dancing.Information: Kris Watts, 602-406-4921

2012 Barrow Grand BallSaturday, January 21Arizona BiltmoreThe Barrow Grand Ball, now in its 47th year, is one of Ari-zona’s premier black-tie fundraisers. Proceeds benefit Bar-row Neurological Institute.Chairmen: Nita Francis and Nancy GaintnerReservation information: Sally Guenther, 602-840-4542

SSBTR Phoenix/ScottsdaleWalk-a-ThonSaturday, February 23Saguaro High School, 6250 N. 82nd St., ScottsdaleStudents Supporting Brain Tumor Research sponsors anannual walk in the Valley to raise funds for brain tumorresearch at Barrow, Phoenix Children’s Hospital, the Trans-lational Genomic Research Institute and the National BrainTumor Society. Information: SSBTR.org

Celebrity Fight NightSaturday, March 24JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & SpaWith guest of honor Muhammad Ali celebrating his 70thbirthday this year, Celebrity Fight Night XVIII promises tobe an especially memorable evening. Celebrities and pro-fessional athletes from across the US will come together toenjoy entertainment, dinner and auctions and to raise moneyfor the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center and other chari-ties.Reservations: 602-956-1121More information: CelebrityFightNight.org

Lou Grubb Friends Fore GolfThursday evening and Friday, April 19-20Scottsdale Plaza Resort (Thursday dinner and auction)McCormick Ranch Golf Club (tournament)This annual tournament is Lou Grubb’s way of thanking Bar-row for the care he received in 1986 for a ruptured aneurysm.The fundraiser includes dinner and live and silent auctionson Thursday night; and lunch, an 18-hole tournament andawards dinner on Friday.Co-chairmen: Mike Medici and Dennis SageInformation: Barrow Neurological Foundation, 602-406-3041.

coming soon

High jinks on the links at Lou Grubb Friends Fore Golf.

B A R R O W30

If you’re like most people, you’ve probably felt unsureabout how to communicate or interact with a personwho has a disability. Barrow Connection—a new pro-

gram that helps people with disabilities live healthy, active,productive lives after discharge from the hospital— offeredan insider’s look at the topic on Oct. 13 at St. Joseph’s.

Scott Hogsett and Tony DeReinzi spoke frankly about thefrustrations of living in a world where many people view themas different. They shared some of their biggest pet peeves—being referred to as “wheelchair bound,” being given that “itsucks to be you” smile or being patted on the back and told,“It’s great to to see you out here.”

So how can you improve your communications withand about people with disabilities? Here are a few tips fromthe US Department of Labor: • Offer common courtesies to people with disabilities.

Extend your hand to shake hands or hand over abusiness card. If the individual cannot shake yourhand or grasp the card, he or she will tell you anddirect you where to place the card.

• If the person has a speech impairment or you’re hav-ing difficulty understanding what he or she is saying,ask him or her to repeat, rather than pretend tounderstand. Listen carefully and repeat back whatyou think you heard.

• If you believe that an individual with a disabilityneeds assistance, offer the assistance, but wait foryour offer to be accepted before you try to help.

• If you wish to get the attention of a person who isdeaf, tap the person gently on the shoulder or arm.Look directly at the person, and speak clearly in anormal tone of voice. Keep your hands away fromyour face, and use short, simple sentences. If the per-son uses a sign language interpreter, speak directly tothe person, not the interpreter.

• If you are speaking to a person who is blind, be sureto identify yourself at the beginning of the conversa-tion and announce when you are leaving. Don’t beafraid to use common expressions that refer to sight,such as “See you later.”

• If you encounter a person with a service animal, suchas a dog, do not touch or distract the animal. Serviceanimals are working, and it breaks their training tointeract with others. When the animal is not work-ing, some owners allow interaction, but ask first.

• During a conversation with a person who uses awheelchair, if at all possible, put yourself at the per-son’s eye level. Never lean on or touch a person’swheelchair or any other assistive device—it is aninvasion of the person’s personal space.

• If you are speaking to a person with a cognitive dis-ability, you may need to repeat or rephrase what yousay. If you are giving instructions on how to performa task, you may also need to give the instructions inwriting. ■

disabilityetiquetteBarrow Connection asks: Howare your communication skills?

B A R R O W C O N N E C T I O N

Tony DeReinzi demonstrates what the term “wheelchair bound”means to him. “My wheelchair gives me liberty. It is not aprison,” he says. DeReinzi prefers the phrase “uses a wheel-chair.” Jo Crawford assists DeReinzi, while Scott Hogsett lookson.

B A R R O W 31

Barrow’s home is Phoenix, but its reputation for excel-lence is becoming truly international. Its first formaloutreach is in London, England, where the Barrow

Foundation UK is based. We hope to build on this pres-ence to support Barrow’s efforts in neuroscience excel-lence.

The Barrow Foundation UK is a non-profit organizationthat raises funds for education and research in the neuro-sciences. It was set up as a result of a gift from Marjorie New-some. Newsome suffered from epilepsy and was referred toJohn Green, MD, Arizona’s first neurosurgeon and Barrow’sfirst director.

After successful treatment at Barrow, she was able topractice psychotherapy in England, and she and Dr. Greenremained friends throughout her life. When she died in1996, she left her estate to Barrow to further the neuro-sciences; Barrow Foundation UK was set up to administerthe gift.

Our Board of Trustees has established and endowedthree academic chairs at Barrow in Neuropsychology, Clin-ical Neuropsychology and Epilepsy. These chairs are held byworld-class physician-scientists whose research is designedto improve patient outcomes and care.

In addition to creating these endowed chairs, the BarrowFoundation UK established the Marjorie Newsome Travel-ling Fellowship in 2003 to enable the winner of one of thepremier prizes in UK neurosurgery to come to Barrow fortraining and observation. This fosters the sharing of knowl-edge and techniques between the UK and the US, improv-ing care standards and physician relationships.

“I could not have anticipated the volume, breadth and qual-ity of clinical work to which I was exposed. It was an excel-lent opportunity to learn not only due to the breadth ofcases but the sheer scale of the institute. I cannot recommendthe experience I had too highly,” said one of our UK-basedtrainees.

Barrow Foundation UK also provides a grant to the Neu-roscience Nurses Association. UK nurses selected for theExpert Exchange Program spend several weeks at Barrowobserving and, upon their return, present research papers toshare what they have learned to their colleagues.

The more established Barrow becomes in the UK—andit is becoming easier and equally tax efficient even for US residents to donate overseas—the more chairs and exchangeprograms the Barrow Foundation UK can fund.

So, what’s next? At the Barrow Foundation UK we believewe can do much more to expand the global reach of Barrow.First and foremost—in conjunction with the new BarrowBrain Tumor Research Center and Barrow Center for Neu-romodulation—we are exploring ways to partner with topmedical institutions in the UK and, potentially, with keycenters of excellence around the world, such as in Israel. Weare also working on ways to make London a pathway for inter-national referrals to Barrow.

We believe that in this way the generous spirit of New-some’s gift and what it has achieved so far will be amplifiedmany times over in the future, contributing to an interna-tional bridge that can only make Barrow stronger. ■

B A R R O W F O U N D A T I O N U K

barrow foundation ukExtending Barrow’s reach overseas

Barrow Foundation UK has funded three endowed chairs at Barrow (left to right): the Newsome Chair in Epileptology, held byDavid M. Treiman, MD; the Newsome Chair of Neuropsychology, held by George Prigatano, PhD; and the Newsome Chair inNeurosurgery Research, held by Mark Preul, MD.

by Judith Beresford

B A R R O W32

N E W S

newsBravo!• Scientists Susana Martinez-Conde, PhD, and

Stephen Macknik, PhD, have been selected byScientific American Mind magazine to co-authorthe publication’s popular column about illusions.

• Virginia Prendergast, NP-C, CNRN, nursemanager of Advanced Practice Nurses atBarrow, has been recognized as a Neuro NurseHero by the Arizona Nurses Association.

• Once again U.S. News & World Report has rec-ognized Barrow Neurological Institute as oneof the top 10 neuroscience centers in the country.

• Fourteen of the neurosurgeons recognized byU.S. News & World Report as among the nation’stop one percent are graduates of a Barrow resi-dency or fellowship program. Another 15 areranked in the top 10 percent of all neurosur-geons.

• Barrow neurosurgeon WilliamWhite, MD, was featured in the June2011 issue of the Pituitary NetworkAssociation e-newsletter. In the arti-

cle, he discusses surgical prac-tice, medical education andresearch at the BarrowPituitary Center. Dr. White,who has practiced at Barrowsince 1976, is among three per-cent of neurosurgeons nation-wide who have completedmore than 1,000 pituitary sur-gery cases. He is the medical

director of the Barrow PituitaryCenter, which he developed.

• Nader Sanai, MD, director of theBarrow Brain Tumor ResearchCenter, led a study that identified anew pathway of stem cell activity inthe brain that represents potentialtargets of brain injuries affectingnewborns. The study was publishedin Nature.

Barrow Connection offers Day at BondurantIndividuals with disabilities got the rare opportunity to racecars during an event sponsored Nov. 5 by Barrow Con-nection and the Bob Bondurant School of High Perform-ance Driving in Chandler.

About 75 people, many in wheelchairs, participated; 25received specialized instruction along with the opportu-nity to experience adapted high performance driving,while another 50 experienced hot laps up to 110 mph withprofessional Bondurant drivers.

New foundation CEO namedKathy X. Kramer has been named president and CEO of St. Joseph’s Foun-dation (SJF) and Barrow Neurological Foundation (BNF). She wasformerly vice president, leadership gifts for SJF and BNF.

Throughout her three decades in fundraising, Kramer has suc-cessfully served in nearly every capacity of fund development, includ-ing strategic planning, annual drives, major giftsolicitations, board development and capital cam-paigns. Before joining St. Joseph’s in 2004, Kramerworked at Mayo Foundation, the Lowell Observa-tory in Flagstaff and Loyola Marymount Univer-sity in Los Angeles.

Kramer has served as president of both theGreater Arizona and Northern Arizona chapters ofthe Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP)and the Association of Health Care Professionals.She is the current president of the Arizona PlannedGiving Round Table. Kramer was named the 2003 Fund Raising Exec-utive of the Year by the Greater Arizona Chapter of AFP. She has a degreein journalism from Northern Arizona University.

In addition, Diane Abraham, president of the CHW Foundation –East Valley and vice president of philanthropy for Chandler Regionaland Mercy Gilbert Medical Centers, has been named the CHW Ari-zona service area leader of philanthropy. As service area leader, she willbe responsible for developing, monitoring and managing a comprehensivephilanthropic resource program and for integrating the developmentefforts for CHW’s Arizona Foundations.

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N E W S

Imaging Center reports onresearchResearchers in the Keller Center for Imaging andInnovation are conducting a number of studies:• In one study, scientists examined the changes

in the brains of mice with Alzheimer’s dis-ease. Changes in the brain structure as themice aged were correlated to deficits in spa-tial learning, similar to what is seen inhumans with Alzheimer’s. The study wasconducted by Gregory H. Turner, PhD, andJiong Shi, PhD. Results were published in theJournal of Alzheimer’s Disease.

• In a current project, Dr. Turner and VinodhNarayanan, MD, are investigating the use ofdiffusion imaging to differentiate betweencortical neuronal density in normal miceand in a genetic mouse model of Rett’s syn-drome. The scientists expect any differencesdetected between the mice to lead to a bio-marker for Rett’s syndrome in children.

• Dr. Narayanan and Kevin Bennett, PhD, atArizona State University are examining axonaltransport in a mouse model of neurofibro-matosis. This method can be used in drug dis-covery for evaluating the efficacy of differenttherapies. Their research has been presented atan international imaging meeting.

Brain aneurysm support group meets at BarrowMembers of the Joe Niekro Foundation Brain Aneurysm SupportGroup watched an aneurysm surgery in the Eller TelePresence @The BARROW conference room during their July meeting. Thegroup meets the third Wednesday of the month at Barrow Neuro-logical Institute.

The Joe Niekro Foundation was established by Natalie Niekro in2007 in honor of her father, Joe Niekro, who lost his life from a sud-den ruptured brain aneurysm in October 2006. The foundation’sgoal is to increase awareness of aneurysms and raise funds for edu-cation, patient/family support, and research. For more informationabout this 501(c)(3) organization, visit JoeNiekroFoundation.org.

Six community members recently joined the Board ofTrustees at Barrow Neurological Foundation.Angela Cesal serves as auditor of the execuitive commit-tee of Ruentex, a publicly traded company with real estateholdings in Taipei and China and one of the country’slargest textile manufacturing companies. Michael Haenel has more than 26 years experience in thesale and leasing of industrial and back-office buildingsand land with BRE Commercial. He is a member of theThunderbirds and a board member of Brophy CollegePreparatory, the Crossroads and Lodestar Day ResourceCenter.Michael R. King is a founding partner of Gammage andBurnham Attorneys at Law. His practice emphasizescreditors’ rights and construction issues and includesconsulting and supervising in all areas of business for thefirm. Larry Mayhew owned and operated Professional

Pharmacy from 1971 to 2005 when he sold the businessand retired. He has been a member of the ArizonaPharmacy Association since 1970, serving as presidentfrom 1984-1985. He is a board member at Hospice of theValley and serves on the national alumni advisory councilfor Drake University’s College of Pharmacy. Dan Pierce, senior vice president at Kitchell, has beeninvolved in the construction of hundreds of hospitals andhealthcare facilities throughout the Southwest. Dan isinvolved in the American Society for HealthcareEngineering, Healthcare Forum, HealthcareAdministrators Forum and the American Hospital andHealth Association. Robert Ramsey pioneered, designed and implementedthe EMS/public private partnership and EMS model fordedicated 911 emergency and hospital ambulance servic-es. He founded Southwest Ambulance and Air Med, Inc.,a transcontinental medical air service.

Barrow Neurological Foundation adds board members

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F I N A L T H O U G H T S

year-end givingContribute to Barrow Neurological Foundation by Dec. 31and get a nice income-tax deduction for 2011

by Kathy KramerPresident and CEOSt. Joseph’s Foundation and Barrow Neurological Foundation

Throughout America’s history, the philanthropic spirithas changed the face of neighborhoods and entirecommunities. Americans seem to have cultivated and

nurtured a brand of generosity that leverages resources andresults in an impact that is lasting.

Thanks to this heritage, a bit of careful planning makesit possible to maximize the impact of charitable intent andmultiply your resources at work. This is especially true whenyou consider tax benefits that can result from gifts that youmake during this calendar year.

One of the constants in our changing tax laws is therecognition of the vital role charitable organizations play inthe building of strong communities.

For this reason, our tax laws continue to leverage everydollar given to a qualified charitable organization by providinga charitable income-tax deduction. And while most Amer-icans may be familiar with the terminology, it is easy to over-look the bottom-line impact of a simple gift.

In fact, when an individual or family chooses to write acheck to charity, Uncle Sam actually picks up a portion of theamount given in the form of an income-tax deduction. So,let’s look at an example of how Uncle Sam covers part of thegift.

Mrs. Sample wants to make a $1,000 gift to her favoritecharity this year. Therefore, she gives her favorite charity a$1,000 check. As a result of her gift, she receives a $1,000

income-tax deduction. Assuming a 30 percent tax bracket,Mrs. Sample may save $300 in taxes. In other words, UncleSam “pays” for $300 of the $1,000 gift!

So please consider making your year-end gift to BarrowNeurological Foundation and utilizing the charitable tax deduction on your 2011 tax return. For more information,please contact Kathy Kramer at 602-406-1042. ■

“When an individual or family

chooses to write a check to

charity, Uncle Sam actually

picks up a portion of the

amount given in the form of an

income-tax deduction.”

Nonprofit Org.U.S. Postage

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Barrow magazine Volume 23, Issue 2, 2011

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Transcript of Barrow magazine Volume 23, Issue 2, 2011